MLB Player News

Bender suffered his second blown save in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Reds, allowing one walk with one strikeout across two-thirds of an inning.

After Sandy Alcantara allowed a double and a walk with one out in the ninth inning, Bender came on to protect a 2-0 lead with Pete Fairbanks (personal) still away from the team. Sal Stewart knocked one in with a sacrifice fly before a wild pitch by Bender tied the game. It was Bender's second blown save in the last four days, and he barely held on for the save Sunday against the Yankees when he allowed two runs on one hit and three walks. Bender wasn't actually charged with any of the runs Tuesday and still has a 9.00 ERA and 6:5 K:BB across four innings this season.

Assad (1-0) tossed 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Rays, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three.

Assad got the call to the majors with Matthew Boyd (biceps) and Cade Horton (forearm) landing on the injured list within the past few days, and Assad stepped up with a strong performance for the Cubs. Horton is now set to undergo season-ending surgery on his right UCL, so it's possible that Assad sticks around as Chicago's fourth or fifth starter for the foreseeable future. The righty struggled with injuries of his own last season, but he's mostly been effective for Chicago when he's been on the field since making his MLB debut in 2022. Assad is penciled in to start again Monday against the Phillies on the road, and he's worth a look in fantasy leagues if he can string together a few good outings.

Diaz earned the save in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jays, striking out three while allowing one hit and one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

Diaz kept the Blue Jays off the board despite yielding two baserunners in the ninth, ending the night by striking out Tyler Heineman. It's been a strong start to the season for Diaz, who has collected a save in four of five outings, allowing just one run while striking out eight over five innings. He's well on his way to eclipsing his save total from 2025 (28) when he was a member of the Mets.

Anderson went three up and three down in his one inning Monday in the 8-6 win against the Red Sox. He did not record a strikeout.

Anderson appeared in 66 games out of the bullpen for the Brewers last season and went 2-6 with a 3.23 ERA. Milwaukee has put Anderson on the mound six times already this season and he has posted a 2.70 ERA. The Brewers' bullpen has right-handers Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill to pitch in high-leverage situations, but a lack of other options beyond them opens the door for Anderson to be used often in middle relief.

Mattson allowed two hits while striking out two in one inning Monday in a 5-0 loss to the Padres.

Mattson was a revelation out of the bullpen for the Pirates last season, posting a 2.45 ERA in 44 appearances after being called up in May. The right-hander has had a heavy workload so far this season, pitching in six out of Pittsburgh's 10 games and posting a 3.00 ERA and seven strikeouts. The Pittsburgh bullpen does not have many proven right-handers other than Dennis Santana, which means Mattson should continue appearing in many games this season.

The Nationals activated Schultz (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Schultz missed much of spring training and the start of the season while recuperating from right elbow inflammation, but he's ready to go after making three rehab appearances. He was claimed off waivers by the Nationals over the offseason and is likely slated for a middle-relief role.

Perez (1-1) picked up the win Monday, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to close out a 9-6 victory over the Cardinals.

Despite pitching the ninth inning with a three-run lead, Perez was officially credited with a win and not a save as the Nationals' other relievers hadn't exactly been effective -- between them, Ken Waldichuk and Andre Granillo coughed up five runs in three innings. It's still intriguing high-leverage usage for Perez given the unsettled nature of the Washington bullpen, but the 29-year-old southpaw has only avoided allowing any runs himself in two of his five appearances to begin the season, stumbling to a 14.73 ERA and 3:2 K:BB in 3.2 innings.

Zastryzny (shoulder) was diagnosed with an intercostal strain and will be sidelined until at least late April, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The 34-year-old lefty sustained the injury during his rehab assignment over the weekend while working his way back from a shoulder strain. Zastryzny will be sidelined for at least a couple more weeks as he contends with the new injury.

The Phillies activated Kerkering (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Kerkering got a late start to the season after straining his right hamstring during spring training, but he's ready to roll after four rehab appearances. The 25-year-old will settle into a setup role for the Phillies, though he could be eased back into high-leverage situations following the layoff.

The Phillies optioned Backhus to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

He's clearing out to make room on the active roster for Orion Kerkering (hamstring), who is returning from a stint on the 15-day injured list. Backhus has yielded three runs with a 4:1 K:BB over three innings out of the Phillies' bullpen this season.